For the past few years, anyone seeking verification would have to have a submission made through an agency in order to be considered for the process.

Today, requesting verification on Instagram is easier than ever.

As of August 28, 2018, any user can submit the request themselves by going to the menu, settings, and clicking “request verification”. After providing a government issued ID and/or business documents, your request for verification will go through.

While this changes how you can apply for verification, it doesn’t make the process any easier. The secret to how Instagram decides which accounts to verify is still largely unknown.

Growing Your Instagram Without Verification

While being verified brings a stamp of approval and a sort of social exclusivity, brands and entrepreneurs don’t need a verified badge to have a strong Instagram following.

Just as a large following doesn’t always equate to high engagement or the success of a brand, the same is true for verified accounts.

Focusing on the growth of your Instagram is much more important than figuring out how to get verified on instagram.

A brand’s ability to connect with their followers and build an attentive, responsive, and supportive following is arguably worth more than a status symbol of a verified account. A profile may have a verified badge with only a few hundred likes per photo, with virtually no comments or new followers. While getting verified can help boost your brand’s image, there are several things you can do now to grow your Instagram.

Analyze the Quality of Your Followers

If engagement is truly one of your priorities, you should take the time to analyze the quality of your followers. Accounts with fake followers or inactive users may be able to boast a large following without having any likes, comments, and the overall engagement to show for it. This is why it’s much more important for you to attract followers that find your brand and content appealing enough to engage with on a regular basis.

Curate Better Content

Instagram is all about visuals. If you’re not posting quality content, it’s likely that you won’t be getting as many likes and follows as you hope. Take the time to beef up your posts by hiring a content creator or learning innovative design strategies to help you curate a better feed.

Invest in an Instagram Marketing Service

Growing your Instagram can feel like a full time job–so why not invest in a service to help? An Instagram marketing service helps brands, influencers, and entrepreneurs grow their Instagram by boosting brand awareness, locating new followers, and growing a brands reach far better than anyone could do on their own.

Whether you get verified or not, putting real effort into making your Instagram successful is as important as earning the ever-so-elusive verification status.

As your Instagram continues to grow, you’ll be able to make the most of your account as authentically as possible.

I have known the founder, Zach Atherton, for several years. In person, he’s not always ‘on’. But he’s the most laid back witty person I know. He’ll be chatting with you, and he’ll slip in some real good zingers and it will take a minute for my brain to catch up with his wit. I love talking with, and listening to him.

I couldn’t possibly predict the popularity of podcasts even as early as last year. I’ve been online for longer than they’ve existed, and it still blows my mind that new shows are popping up every day, and people (even millennials) are still jumping on the bandwagon: